Questions and answers

Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for ��˿�� to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S6W-00961

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 21 June 2021
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 2 July 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on providing vouchers for one free NHS dental check-up for new mothers that can be redeemed after the baby’s first birthday if the mothers were unable to access this service before the birthday because of COVID-19 restrictions.

Question reference: S6W-00854

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 June 2021
Current Status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 2 July 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to review the High Hedges (Scotland) Act 2013, with a view to bringing forward amending legislation to increase the reach and scope of the Act.

Question reference: S6W-00628

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 June 2021
Current Status: Answered by Ash Denham on 2 July 2021

To ask the Scottish Government, further to its announcement of funding for 40 new legal aid trainees, whether it will provide further information on the geographical base of the trainees, and whether the fund to support the traineeships will be accessible to people in the Northern Isles.

Applications for the Legal Aid Traineeship Fund are sought from all legal firms/organisations across Scotland, including those in the Northern Isles. The Scottish Government and the Law Society agreed that all posts must be externally advertised including on the lawscots.jobs website. The criteria for the Fund explicitly states that all reasonable steps must be taken by legal firms/organisations to use an open, fair, and diverse recruitment process.

The Law Society are responsible for the administration of the Fund and further information on the eligibly criteria can be found here: .

Question reference: S6W-00755

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 June 2021
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 2 July 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what work has been done to quantify the reliability of PCR test kits that can be bought privately.

Humza Yousaf: The Scottish Government is investigating potential options to ensure that consumers and the wider public can have confidence in the reliability of private PCR tests.

We have issued guidance for employers on setting up private testing programmes which includes information on seeking assurances around test quality:

UK Government legislation regulating the Coronavirus test devices can be found here: .

Question reference: S6W-00731

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 June 2021
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 2 July 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what representations it has received in the last 12 months from (a) Cancer Research UK, and (b) other cancer charities, regarding arrangements for breast cancer screening for women aged 70 and over.

The Scottish Government has not received representation within the last 12 months from either Cancer Research UK, or any other cancer charities regarding breast screening for the over 70s. However, there is representation from cancer charities on decision-making committees, including Cancer Research UK on the Scottish Screening Committee and Breast Cancer Now on the Breast Screening Programme Board. This ensures they are regularly updated on the status of the breast screening programme, including the pause of self-referrals for people over 70.

Question reference: S6W-00648

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 14 June 2021
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 2 July 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what advice it has given to health and social care partnerships on the easement of section 13za of the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968.

The chief officers of health and social care partnerships were provided with a link to guidance on the Scottish Government website regarding the Coronavirus (Scotland) Act 2020 and Coronavirus (Scotland) (No.2) Act 2020. This was provided on 7 April, the day all of the provisions in the Coronavirus (Scotland) Act 2020 came into force, apart from those relating to the easements to s.13ZA of the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968. Chief officers were advised of the relevant pages that contained guidance on adults with incapacity changes. That guidance made clear that the easements to s.13ZA would only come into force when and if Ministers approved its use by invoking regulations. This would be strictly only when evidenced as being absolutely necessary. These regulations did not come into force.

Question reference: S6W-01140

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S6W-00886

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 18 June 2021
Current Status: Answered by Jackson Carlaw (On behalf of the SPCB) on 1 July 2021

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it plans to consult with (a) staff and (b) trade unions on the potential introduction of a four-day working week (32 hours), at no loss of pay, for Parliament staff.

There are no plans at present to consult with SPS staff about the potential introduction of a four-day working week (32 hours), at no loss of pay. However, parliamentary officials have held informal discussions with the trade unions about the 2021/22 pay award for SPS staff and are aware that this is an issue which trade unions are raising with the public sector. The SPCB recently agreed to instruct parliamentary officials to enter into formal pay negotiations with the TUS with both sides committed to securing and communicating a deal as soon as possible.

Question reference: S6W-00853

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 June 2021
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 1 July 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to invest in hydrogen trains to help achieve the 2035 net zero target, and what information it has regarding how these plans compare with those of (a) Germany, (b) France and (c) Italy, including the number of trains ordered.

The principal means of meeting the 2035 rail service net zero target will be to continue the Scottish Government’s rolling programme of electrification. Thanks to a programme of investment delivered by the Scottish Government consistent with this approach, some 75% of Scottish rail passenger journeys are already on electric trains. Regrettably, only 45% of rail freight movements in Scotland are electric, chiefly due to the lack of electrification to key freight terminals and ports at the English end of the freight journey.

Concerning investment in Hydrogen trains, I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-00852 on 1 July 2021. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at /chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers .

Question reference: S6W-00848

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 June 2021
Current Status: Answered by Jackson Carlaw (On behalf of the SPCB) on 1 July 2021

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what support and advice it is making available to ��˿�� who wish to facilitate a four-day working week (32 hours) or part-time equivalent for their employees, at no loss of pay.

The SPCB provides the staff cost provision to enable Members to employ up to the equivalent of 4 full time staff. Individual Members have flexibility to decide how to use their staffing budget, including setting staff salaries within the agreed pay ranges and overall capped provision limit set by the SPCB. It is for Members as the employer to decide how they employ their staff so long as it is within the rules of the Scheme and the job families and salary ranges set out by the SPCB. Members also set their own hours of work.